The Winter War Collection
by Langus
Summary: A collection of Bleach one-shots I've written based on the "Winter War" with Aizen and Co. Thus far, features Yoruichi, Urahara, Ichigo and Orihime. Mainly deals with love, loss, longing and last wishes. Please read and review.
1. Shaken: Ichigo and Orihime

It was so quick, nothing really, like the blink of an eye or the pulse of a heartbeat. The pain wasn't there but the knowledge was. It provided a certain clarity to the moment, a reassuring sense that it'd turned out okay, the way it was supposed to.

This was right – no matter how harsh or unfair it seemed – and she was glad for it. Glad she had the opportunity to save him. He'd put himself in harms way for her so many times, bled for her, died for her, and now she was finally graced with the opportunity to return the favour.

In that moment she didn't feel defeated or sad towards her fate because Ichigo had survived and that was all that really mattered. He would go on to save the others, he was the only one strong enough to save them all, and here she'd finally been given the chance to do her little bit too.

She no longer felt so useless now that she was drifting down from the heavens with the hard ground rushing at her back. She felt free, enlightened by a sense of purpose and the satisfaction she felt at having fulfilled such a destiny. Aizen's blow had been decisive, enough to steal her life away, but he hadn't won – not by a long shot.

Her grey eyes searched the never ending sky for his silhouette in vain. She'd lost track of him, his dark shadow and the white mask of the grim reaper that frightened her so. It was only then that she realized he'd been beside her all along. She hadn't been floating like she'd first thought – he'd been carrying her, lowering her gently to the ground.

His mask was gone too. Staring down at her was a face she knew well, the charming face of the orange-haired awkward boy she'd befriended, grown to love and given her life for.

_Kurosaki-kun…Ichigo…_

"Kurosaki-kun…I'm so glad…you're not hurt," she whispered once he'd settled her against the pavement.

"Inoue…"

She averted her eyes from his horror struck gaze and felt a blush of embarrassment colour her cheeks. "I'm thankful too Kurosaki-kun…because you see me now too."

His brow furrowed as it was accustomed to do and she shook her head to halt the strain of questions ready to fall from his lips. Closing her eyes briefly, she fought the crushing sensation that filled her chest with each breath. She was scared to open them again, afraid that the face staring back at her would be the same yellow-eyed demon who made her body tremble and shake in the wake of its power.

The evil that emanated from that body in great waves felt nothing like the boy she knew. They weren't the same person, that hollow and Ichigo, they were two very different beings indeed. One was rough and vibrant, the other fluid, raw and dark. She prayed he wouldn't lose himself to the power and was thankful that when she opened her eyes it was still Kurosaki's face was hovering above hers, his expression filled with concern.

She offered him a warm, simple smile, comforted by the knowledge that his was the last face she would see. His hands gripped her body tighter, as though he could keep her alive by force of will alone.

"Kurosaki-kun can you please promise…Promise me you won't die? I don't think I could be happy in that place knowing you were gone too."

His head jerked in a shaky nod and he swallowed thickly before responding with a hushed, "I definitely won't die. I promise."

She smiled at that. Kurosaki wasn't the type of man who made promises he didn't intend to keep. If he said he definitely wouldn't die, her heart was inclined to trust him at his word.

She looked past his shoulder at the flickering golden barrier encasing them. Outside their protected dome the battle had come to a standstill. Shinigami floated in midair with their zanpakto poised above their heads and arrancar were frozen in the sky, their bodies twisted in a death spiral leading head first to the unforgiving earth.

He didn't seem to notice that she'd halted time for them so they could share this one last moment together without interruption. He was too focused on her, his gaze intense as he appeared to hang on her every word. For a long time she'd wished for moments like this one, moments where she was the only person reflected in his kind eyes. The reality was bittersweet. Her wish had been granted, but at a hefty price and both of them knew that it couldn't last much longer.

"Kurosaki-kun… I was wondering if I might ask a favour?"

He nodded quietly, silently urging her to continue.

"Um…I was wondering if perhaps…if you might…if it's not too much trouble…I'd very much like to kiss you."

After a brief hesitation his eyes grew large and his eyebrows lifted nearly into his hairline. Stunned into silence, he stared down at her incredulously and she tried not to blush beneath his gaze.

"Inoue…Wha-?"

There was no sound of rejection in his tone, just a sentiment of innocent disbelief mixed with confusion. She wished she'd found the courage to say something sooner but that strength had always evaded her. With nothing left to lose, she wasn't prepared to move on without first seeking to fulfill this one last desire. Feeling her cheeks grow hot, she glanced away and closed her eyes.

"I've liked you for a long time, so long I can't even remember when I started feeling this way."

It had been a long time since their first days of junior high when Tatsuki had introduced them. He'd always been brooding and serious, the opposite to her vibrant eccentricity, and yet she'd been drawn to him for reasons she wouldn't come to understand until much later. Reasons that made him the type of man she grew to love and the type of person she'd give her life for.

"I've always admired you Kurosaki-kun and I was happy for a while because you thought of me as a friend. I was thankful just to be close to you like that because your spirit is so warm – it feels like a roaring fire sometimes."

Even before he'd been introduced to the world of a soul reaper, she'd felt safe in his presence, reassured by the knowledge that because she was his friend he would protect her. He was like that with all his friends, Sado-kun and Tatsuki too. It made her feel special that he considered her to be part of that elite group. Meeting him and becoming his friend had changed her life.

"I've wanted to tell you that I love you a lot of times, but none of them ever felt right and I always lost my courage at the last second."

Her mind replayed the night she'd spent at his bedside, crying over her own cowardice as she whispered her most secret emotions to his unconscious form. The pain she felt that night, accompanied by the utter sense of guilt at the thought of leaving her friends behind, was matched only by the tumult of emotions she'd suffered on the tragic day her brother had died. The entire time she'd asked herself the same question - how am I supposed to survive without him?

"You've done so much for me and made me so happy… I don't think I could ever repay you. That's why I feel guilty asking this of you, but I hope it's not too much because before I go to that other place I'd like to know that I did this one last thing."

Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice. He spoke her name in a hushed whisper and she turned to him with unshed tears brimming along her lash line. His expression was grave and somewhat sad and his eyes searched hers for the answer to some unspoken question.

"Inoue…I didn't-," he stuttered, at a loss for the right words to mend her wounds. She shook her head slowly, feeling somewhat dizzy, and blinked to clear the cloudy haze from her vision.

"It's not your fault Kurosaki-kun." Sweeping her eyes over the battlefield she added, "None of this is your fault."

She winced as his arms tightened around her and his fingers bit into the flesh of her back. He was trembling now, subtly, but she could feel it in his touch. She didn't want to be a burden anymore, especially not to him.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out suddenly, his voice thick with emotion. He kept his face turned away to hide a painful grimace and the glistening tear rolling down his cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Orihime."

Sucking in a shuddering breath he turned to her, revealing twin streams of crystalline tears running freely down his cheeks. The pain in his eyes was so vivid and raw that it made her heart ache and she felt sorry for being the cause of it. He suddenly pulled her body against his, crushing it to his chest in an embrace so tight it forced the air from her lungs.

With her cheek pressed against his heart she could hear its rhythmic tempo and feel the silent sobs racking his body. Using what was left of her strength she clawed her fingers into the inky black material of his robes and clutched him to her until he drew back.

He wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand and pulled in a shaky breath as he gazed down at her. She offered him an encouraging smile that was warm and bright despite the tears brimming in her eyes. It meant so much to her to know he cared this much.

Her own heart was racing in her ears now, pumping hard and frantic inside her chest. Fixing her with a serious expression, he lowered his face until his lips were hovering over hers.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. _

His warm breath cascaded across her cheek, tickling her skin and sending shivers rushing down her spine. He brushed his lips against hers in a fleeting stroke and her breath caught in her throat.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. _

The touch of his lips against hers was warm and gentle. His kiss was exactly how she'd hoped it would be – tentative and endearing. She closed her eyes and willingly lost herself to the tidal wave of emotion that crashed through her and eagerly returned the gesture.

Two solitary tears of happiness slipped from the corners of her eyes and spilt down her cheeks. In her life there had never been a more perfect moment.

_Thank you… Kurosaki-kun._

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-…_

The warm glow of Inoue's reiatsu disappeared in the same instant that the protective shield around them shattered. Sucking in a startled gasp, Ichigo pulled back and studied the serene expression on her face. He noticed rather belatedly the way her body had gone limp in his arms and his head slowly shook back and forth in disbelief.

_No… It's not possible. Not Inoue too!_

He stared down at her a moment longer, hoping and praying that he was mistaken. She couldn't be gone, not when there was so much still left unsaid.

_I wanted to tell you I love you a lot of times_…

Her words echoed painfully through his mind and wrapped around his heart until he grimaced.

_Can you please promise me… Promise me you won't die?_

His promise to her resounded loudly in his mind and instilled him with a sense of duty and purpose that'd momentarily been forgotten. He would continue to fight, for her sake, and he would win. He would beat Aizen and his arrancar because he'd promised her that he would and he had every intention of keeping that promise.

Laying her body down gently atop the pavement, he retrieved Zangetsu from the ground beside him and cast one last, lingering glance at the girl he'd known for years but never truly knew at all.

Above him the battle kick-started suddenly into motion. The clang of swords, war cries, death groans… they swept over him and past him completely ignored. Even the great swells of reiatsu that clogged the atmosphere and pressed down upon the air to suffocate the weak with their crushing weight could not phase him. Nodding his head to her, he made a silent promise to return once it was all over.

Conscious of how it frightened her, he made sure to turn his back before pulling the hollow mask into place. The golden eyes peering out from behind its gleaming skeletal smile burned with determination. He didn't need to second guess himself anymore or question his own abilities. He'd made a promise to her that he wouldn't die and that was enough. There was no way he could lose now.

--

_Author's Note: _Thoughts?

I'm thinking of making this part of a series that will explore possible scenarios for the final showdown between Aizen, Soul Society and the clan in K-town… Hmmm…

I realize that the way I've written this seems very pro Ichigo/Orihime. You can read it that way if you want. Personally I don't see any romantic pairing coming out of Bleach but if there were to be one I'd always figured it would be Rukia.

That didn't stop me from exploring this scene/pairing though. I figured that if Orihime was dying a kiss from Ichigo would probably be her last wish, and unless he was a complete jerk (which I don't think any of us think he is) I'm almost certain he would oblige.

Please leave a review on your way out!

Langus


	2. Fated: Urahara and Yoruichi

It was quiet. The battle to save Karakura Town had ended in a deafening silence. Bodies of arrancar, shinigami, and vizard alike lay strewn and prostrate across the pavement. Death hadn't played favourites – each side had suffered heavy losses. With the fighting finally over, the sombre silence hung all around them and hammered that final point home.

Benihime had sung its last song and lay lost somewhere in the fray. He didn't normally treat his zanpaktou so carelessly, but for the moment he had something more important in his hands. He walked as far from the battleground as his feet would take him. He needed to find somewhere unpolluted by death, somewhere where it could just be the two of them.

He tried to ignore the incessant _drip, drip_ that dogged his every step and the warm stickiness of the blood coating his hands as he walked. He'd barely travelled three blocks before she furrowed her brow and sluggishly opened her eyes.

"Kisuke… Wha-?"

A ragged cough tore through her and she turned her head away to spit out a mouthful of blood. Her eyes lifted to his stern features once more and lingered on his serious frown.

"That bad huh?" she observed softly, suddenly feeling small and meek in his embrace. She watched his mouth press into a firm line before he sighed and asked,

"Are you in pain?"

She thought it over a moment before slowly shaking her head 'No'. Funny that. She'd expected to wake up to find a world of hurt and found only him. He nodded silently and seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Good. I'm glad."

He finally found the courage to meet her gaze with his own and the heavy sadness she saw written behind his eyes shocked her. Those solemn green orbs spoke volumes about how little time they had left. She wasn't accustomed to admitting defeat, but today it seemed she didn't have a choice.

With a humourless smile she quipped, "At least Byakuya can finally lay claim to having the fastest flash step in all of Sereitei." Kisuke didn't smile at her attempted joke. With his eyes glued to the horizon he pressed forward toward their unknown destination.

Content for a moment to let him carry her, Yoruichi slipped her fingers into the folds of his kimono and rested her weary head against the strong perch of his shoulder. The dizziness was getting worse now, and the peripheries of her vision were starting to blur. She blinked her eyes to clear them to no avail. Stubborn as she was, even she knew it wouldn't be too much longer now.

She let her eyes drift close to ward off a wave of dizziness and asked, "Who?"

His voice was like steel, laced with his rage and the guilt that he hadn't done more, "Aizen."

"Did I-?"

She heard the smile in his voice and knew it was there without opening her eyes.

"Of course," he lied. "I wouldn't have expected any less from the former Commander of the Stealth Forces."

She smiled and coughed lightly to clear the heaviness from her lungs. It felt like she was breathing through a straw, each breath more difficult and laboured than the last. Feeling light-headed she clutched his kimono a little tighter and asked,

"Kisuke, can we stop? Maybe under that tree…"

His footsteps slowed to a halt and he glanced over at the tree in question. It was a large weeping willow with long swaying branches that draped softly to the ground. With a quiet nod, he made his way there, stopping to sit only once they were hidden beneath its leafy canopy.

Her body curled instinctively into his while he held her in his lap. There was silence between them for a long while as they listened to the sound of each others' breaths and memorized the feeling of their bodies pressed close. When the wind whispered against her cheeks she closed her eyes and welcomed its caress. As dying moments went, she could have done worse.

She felt his cheek brush her temple and lazily opened her eyes to meet his. He was watching her with such intensity, but there was a tempered patience there as well. He'd always been far too laid back. Thankfully the sadness she'd seen in his eyes before was gone, replaced now by the openness she remembered so well and the mischievous glint that'd attracted her in the first place.

Holding her a little closer he spoke quietly. "There's one thing I've always wanted to know," he began haltingly, "All those years ago, why'd you follow me here?"

She smiled up at him and shook her head against his shoulder. "Dummy," she teased, sounding like her usual playful self, "Isn't it obvious?"

He smiled a little at that. There was something poignant about finally knowing how she truly felt after so many years, even if it was a little late. His smile faded slowly as his eyes lingered on her peaceful expression. She was gone. He had to commend her for being her usual stealthy self, even in death. She hadn't even given him a chance to say 'good bye.' Only fitting, he supposed, since the only person who hated 'good byes' more than he did was her.

Using his fingertips, Kisuke the hair from her forehead and settled back against the tree. The pain in his side had long since ceased to ache. There was a nice collection of blood accumulating on the grass next to them as well. He was just thankful she hadn't noticed. She'd spent far too much time troubling herself over him as it was.

As he watched the wind stir the branches of the willow tree, Kisuke felt nothing but the peace of mind that comes with the acceptance of one's fate. This park was tranquil. The war hadn't touched it and it remained a pristine, unblemished thing of beauty. It figured she would've wanted it to end this way.

With his eyes growing heavy, he rested his head back against the nobby bark of the tree, closed his eyes, memorized the feel of her in his arms, and pulled in a long, slow breath.

As last moments went, he could have done worse.


End file.
